Displays



June 24, 1958 J, PALMER T AL 2,839,855

DISPLAYS Filed April 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR$ John M. Palmer Rude/f A. Schmidt Attorney June 24, 1958 J. M. PALMER ETAL DISPLAYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 26. 1956 United States atent"Ofi[ice Patented June 24, .1958

DISPLAYS John M. Palmer, Larchinont and Rudolf A. Schmidt, 1

Flushing, N.jY.

Application April 26, 1956, Serial N 0.- 580,871:

1 Claim.. (Cl.'40'33) Generically,,the invention relates to display devices and specifically to a unitary, mobile display which provides an intermittent, rotary motion to a message or messages carried on elements of the device, with consequent, dynamic, attention-compelling eflects.

A primary object of a display device is to attract and hold a viewers attention for the purpose of.driving and skill, A sign on a counter .which merely. says bu X toasters will not sell a twenty dollar electric toasterbut one which attractively pictures a housewife holding a toaster may. And a movingdisplay-which exhibited the toaster and a picture of the lady wouldcertainly sell.

We have invented a unique display device with an intermittent motionthatis dynamic, which rivets the attention of a customer on..the.sales. message or product and holds it for a second straight to vthe .bulls-eye appeal, and sells merchandise,.amongits. other manifold uses.

One object is the .provisionof an intermittently rotating, mobile display device, having what we term stop and go motion. It is intended, as'oneprimary use, as a pointof-purchase display with maximum impact ontprospectivepurchasers, consumers, or i onany viewer within visual range of the device.

Another object is a display device for use in retailestablishrnents to advertise goods sold therein, which is attractive, attention-compelling and adapted for use on or above counters, on floor-displays, on shelves, walls, in windows, or for that matter, in any position which can be seen by a customer. The device may even be weather-proofed, and placed out of doors.

We have for another object a display device which can be manufactured in a variety of sizes and shapes, as for example, a single, double, quadruple, quintuple or any reasonably numbered series of intermittently rotating signs or objects, adjusted for step and go motion in in unison, or sequentially, or in any desired order. The only feature limiting the size of the display is the space allotted in the store.

A further feature of our invention contemplates a display device which is adapted for exhibiting a longitudinally spaced message in one plane, or a plurality of planes, that is one message above the other or side by side.

We further provide a dynamic display which is adapted for exhibiting one or a plurality of advertising messages, news, any visual matter, or three dimensional objects in a dramatic fashion and to intermittently, completely,

change the exhibit to present a different message, visual message or object, at regular frequent intervals.

Still another object contemplated the provision of:-a device capable of displaying either a flat message. or advertising carrying panelor three-dimensionalobjects of suitable configuration, and intermittently changing the viewed side of the panel or object after. a suificient time lag or dwell for the viewer to see one side of the,displayor object.

We comprehend a. device in which the individual panel components of the display may be readily interchangedat will to provide new sales messages without unduezdisturbance of the display housing o-r mechanism.

Finally, we have invented a display which can be manufactured at minimum cost, and of inexpensive materials.

These and other objects will be manifest after the specification and claim unfold.

Briefly described, the invention comprises a unitary, mobile display, with a mounting includinga base plate, a main shaft operatively connected with an electric clock or other motor and one or a plurality of similar mountings cooperating with said shaft for sustaining and inter-- mittently rotatingmulti-sided panels, with What We term: stop and go movement.

The foregoing mechanism is encased in an attractive frame, or housing, and can be used as a shelf piece, a window display, wall hanging'or as a unit in a multipieced window display.

In the drawings: 1

Fig. 1 is a front view of stop and go triple turn:display with intermittent motion mechanism partially. shown.

Fig. 12 --perspective view of display mechanism, i 1

Fig. 3 front elevation of amultiple; motion display mechanism with principle of that shownin Fig.1.

Fig. .4plan .view of Fig. '3 showing both .-neut ralsand. flip over positions.

In the specification, where reference-is had to adyertising, thisis not intended to-be limitative-inany manner, for the invention can be used for the'display ofanything-i which;can be seen, whether-point-of-purehase :advertising.

designed to further the sale of goods; at, the point ortplacev where they are actually being sold or any' place whatsoever, or, for. such material as fund raising.drivescr-the like, news, any visual matter, or to;display=three.-dimensionalobjects. And'additionally, while-a clock.motor.is' employed for rotating the horizontallyor,verticallyndisposed shaft-it should be-understood any motor: Withaa reduction gear or source of power capable of1slowly;ro-.= tatinga shaft can be employed. Also, thegword ,fpanelibis; used to denote signs, or any message carryingiobjects;

Finally, where the parts are duplicated, like numbers for such parts are employed.

Referring to the drawings, 5 denotes the entire multipanelled display, with the supporting and intermittentmotion imparting mechanism of the multi-signed display being delineated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Therein number 6 denotes the base plate which may be fabricated of metal or any other rigid material. At one end of said base and intermediate the ends we provide mounting brackets 7, which include base 8, vertical wall 9, and horizontally disposed shelf 10, which may be struck from Wall 9. From the rear of shelf 10 extends flexible stop spring 11, rigidly aflixed to shelf 10, which is formed with its free end angled upwardly, for the purposes hereinafter explained.

One end of another but longer flexible spring 12 mounted on wall 13 of bracket 7.

Inwardly of bracket 7 we mount another bracket 14, with lower palm 15 secured to plate 6 and its upper end oppositely extending palm 16 centrally bored at 17.

As motive power we provide a clock motor 18 operplings around the shaft.

In each bracket 14 there are rotatably seated panels 23, each of which are either rigidly or removably mounted on rods 24, to which are welded forks 25, having downwardly extending legs 26. Rods 24 have support bearings 24 which are seated on the brackets 14, and their upper ends 24 fit into and are removable from slots 40 in upper support 41While 49 is an upper attachment means mounted on the rods to assist in holding panels 23.

The intermittent motion mounting mechanism and signs 23 are all mounted in a housing 27, with28 referring to one side and 29 the opposite side of the panels. Housing 27 it is to be noted must have sufiicient depth to accommodate the driving mechanism and to permit panels 23 to turn therein, with 44 the top, 45 the bottom, sidewalls 46, back 47 and opening 48 spaced from the foregoing sulficiently to cover the operating mechanism from the viewer and said opening also spaced equidistantly from the outer edges of the said top, bottom and sidewalls which serves to frame the opening. Further, bracket 14 must be positioned rearwardly of opening 48 to permit fork to travel 180 in their orbit free of the rear wall of the opening.

Operation With shaft 19 rotating slowly (i. e. 7 to 8 R. P. M.) in a clockwise direction, the bell crank 22 carried thereby frictionally engages one of the legs 26 depending from the sign 23 and thereby rotates rod 24 (see .Fig. 2), impelling spring 12 rearwardly. After a revolution of about a quarter segment of rod 24, or the point at which bell crank 22 has, by its orbit of movement disengaged from contact with one of legs 26, spring 12 in its distorted position takes charge and carries the other leg 26 around to the free end of the spring while the opposite leg 26, is moved along and depresses stop spring 11 until the end of leg 26 is carried beyond the end of said spring and assumes the median dotted line position shown in Fig. 4. Spring 11 acts as both a brake and a stop.

There is a short time lag or dwell during which sides 28 of signs 23 are visible-and there follows another 180 turn of the signs 23, to display sides 29 of signs 23,

with a diflFerent message from that depicted on sides 28. The mechanism has a number of desirable characteristics: slow starting and stopping action, suflicient dwell between rotation of the signs, absence of noticeable overthrow, positive positioning of the panels between movement, and compactness.

It comprises a dramatic, compelling display for use at the point where the manufacturer most desires consumer attention-namely, at the point .of purchase.

It is-within the inventive concept that panels with three or four sides (not shown) may be mounted.

We reserve the right to make such changes or modifications as may come within the scope of the appended claim.

We claim:

A unitary, mobile, display device comprising a threedimensional housing having a top, bottom, side walls and an opening in the front of the housing spaced equidistantly from and framed by the top, bottom and side walls, a vertically disposed rod having a horizontally mounted support attached to the upper portion thereof and a fork having a horizontal portion and two depending legs mounted inwardly of the lower end of said rod, a support bearing mounted on the rod above the lower end of the rod, pairs of brackets mounted on a base plate, said support bearing disposed between the brackets and below the opening in said housing and carrying a two-sided panel above the horizontal portion of the fork, a motor operated horizontal shaft mounted within the housing on said brackets and carrying a projection rotatable about a horizontal axis operatively engaging one of said forks, a vertically bendable stop spring aflixed to one of said brackets having its free end upwardly angled, a horizontally bendable spring also mounted on said last mentioned bracket, both of said springs engageable by said legs whereby upon rotation of the shaft, the said projection engages one of said legs to initially impart a rotative movement to said rod and the other of said legs is thereupon engaged by the last mentioned spring to complete a rotation of said rod and whereby the leg engaged by said projection will at the end of its movement be engaged by said stop spring to cause the panel to dwell in the framed opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,081,001 Runyan Dec. 9, l9l3 1,256,645 Barnett Feb. 19, 1918 1,304,899 Mather May 27, 1919 1,463,108 Willison et al July 24, 1923 2,202,417 Fleming May 28, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 127,138 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1928 183,085 Switzerland June 2, 1936 259,723 Great Britain Oct. 21, 1926 541,170 France Apr. 28, 1922 

